Explainer: Decoding 'bribe-for-query scam'

Tribune Web Desk

Vibha Sharma

Chandigarh, October 20

A political vendetta, a case of corruption or a relationship gone wrong, the row sparked by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s allegation that Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra was involved in a “bribe-for-questions scam” has snowballed into a major controversy. 

The social media is rife with various takes on the issue, the BJP is sensing a kill over TMC while Moitra’s own party appears to have distanced itself from the allegations that she received money and gifts for posing questions in Parliament. 

According to some senior leaders, Moitra has already issued a statement.

The issue 

It all started with Dubey alleging that Moitra was involved in a “bribe-for-questions scam”. Dismissing the charges, Moitra claimed that a “fake degree MP” (read Dubey) and her “jilted ex” (Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai) were responsible for the “political vendetta” against her.

Dubey claimed that Moitra asked “questions in Parliament in exchange for cash and gifts” from businessman Darshan Hiranandani, the CEO of real-estate conglomerate Hiranandani Group. Not just that, she also provided him with her Parliament login and password so that he could “post the questions directly on her behalf”.

Demanding her immediate suspension from the Lok Sabha, Dubey urged Speaker Om Birla to look into the charges, saying that his assertions were based on a letter from a SC lawyer (Dehadrai) with “irrefutable evidence of bribes” exchanged between Moitra and Hiranandan,  

Dubey also claimed that 50 of 61 questions asked by Moitra in Parliament till recently were focused on the Adani Group—the business group she has been targeting for malpractices.

Moitra, in turn, accused the Adani Group of “falling back on fake degree MP and a jilted ex’s lies”. Asserting that she will not rest till CBI investigates and freezes “money they had stolen from Indians”, Moitra said that “I am told even PM Narendra Modi is sick of you and your frauds”.

Dubey’s complaint is being probed by the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha. Moitra could be expelled from Parliament, if found guilty. Sources said the allegation regarding providing Hiranandani with her Parliament login and password is “serious”

Hiranandani has agreed to the charge which Moitra claimed was a “part of BJP’s broader strategy to discredit her and divert attention from pressing concerns related to the Adani Group”.

She has also asked the Ethics Committee Chairman to first conduct an enquiry into how the Hiranandani affidavit found its way to the media, pointing to rules that say that evidence given before the committee shall not be published by any member or anyone else until it has been laid on the table.

Mahua Moita

Known for fiery speeches inside Parliament, targeting Gautam Adani over allegations of “corruption and malpractices” and exchanges with Dubey, the TMC MP asked Birla to also probe “the multiple breach of privileges pending against Dubey”.

Moitra created quite an uproar in the House with her debut speech on “the seven early signs of fascism”. Since then, she is counted among star speakers from the Opposition bench. 

Moitra has been targeting Dubey as “fake degree MP”, questioning the authenticity of his educational qualifications.

In a series of tweets earlier this year Moitra claimed that during the Lok Sabha polls of 2009 and 2014, Dubey’s affidavits to the EC mentioned a ‘part time MBA from Delhi University (DU)’ as one of his qualifications. She shared an RTI reply by DU, which said there was no such candidate in its MBA programme.

Nishikant Dubey

Dubey has been representing the Godda constituency in Jharkhand since May 2009. 

The firebrand leader is also one of the choices for his party whenever it wants to put up a fight in the House and at times also lead a debate.

Notably, a day after BJP issued a show cause notice to contain the damage arising from the remarks by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri against BSP leader Danish Ali on the floor of the House, Dubey wrote to Birla to seeking an “inquiry committee to investigate the utterances” by various Opposition members during the discussion on the Chandrayaan 3 Mission, suggesting that Biduri was “instigated”.

Darshan Hiranandani

While earlier the Hiranandani group denied the allegations made by Dubey, saying that it was “not involved in the business of politics”, yesterday Darshan Hiranandani, the businessman named in Dubey’s complaint, gave a signed affidavit corroborating his claims.

Hiranandani admitted that he gave Moitra information on the basis of which she posed questions attacking the Adani Group. He also said that he gifted her “expensive luxury items” besides underwriting the “renovation of her official” bungalow.

The ‘jilted ex’

Dehadrai is said to be Moitra’s estranged partner who is also in the news over a Rottweiler named Henry.

According to reports, there was a tussle between Moitra and Dehadrai over the custody of Henry and that the TMC MP had also filed multiple police complaints against her former partner for “alleged criminal trespass, theft, vulgar messages and abuse”.

The case was a result of “a relationship gone wrong and a personal vendetta for political revenge,” according to a TMC leader.

Dubey cited Dehadrai’s letter to claim “irrefutable” evidence that Moitra took bribes in the form of “cash and gifts” from Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament. 

Dehadrai has filed a complaint against her with the CBI.

Dubey and Dehadrai are scheduled to testify before the parliamentary ethics committee on October 26, according to reports.

Henry

Meanwhile, the Rottweiler has emerged as a key character in this unsavoury saga between former friends Moitra and Dehadrai who fell apart for “a variety of personal reasons”.

Apparently, Dehadrai had taken Henry away but later returned him to Moitra. 

Moitra’s notice alleges that Dehadrai “trespassed into her official government residence and stole some personal possessions, including her pet dog (which he later returned).”

Dubey, who has been leading the charge against Moitra, took a dig saying “had heard about the war of Mahabharata for Draupadi, but experiencing a political earthquake over (a dog) is happening in the country for the first time.”

TMC distances itself 

The TMC appears to have left Moitra on her own to fend for herself.

This is also not the first time the TMC has distanced itself from Moitra

Last time she was left alone by her party over her remarks calling Goddess Kali a “meat-eating and alcohol-accepting Goddess”. 

TMC supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had also reportedly pulled up Moitra at a public meeting in Nadia district in December 2021 over “growing factionalism” in the party ranks in the district.”  

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